Tech company's self-driving car rolls ahead with new approval.

Google's driverless car gets green light

Tech company's self-driving car rolls ahead with new approval.

Google's driverless car gets green light

18 May 2015Sam Hall

Google's driverless car trial has reached a critical stage, with the Californian government granting the tech company permission to test its own design on public roads.

Google has confirmed the public trial will take place in Mountain View, California from mid year. Unlike previous and ongoing public trials where Google has used its technology on a Lexus RX450h SUV donor vehicle, the latest one will involve its own prototype, built in Detroit by auto supplier Roush Industries.

The vehicles will be limited to 40km/h and will be fitted with a physical steering wheel, brake and accelerator pedals, as sanctioned by the Californian government.

While the vehicle's autonomous technology will be doing all the work, Google has stressed it will have a safety person at the helm of the vehicle in case something goes wrong.

"We've been running the vehicles through rigorous testing at our test facilities, and ensuring our software and sensors work as they're supposed to on this new vehicle," the company said in a blog posting.

"[The] fleet has logged nearly a million autonomous miles on the roads since we started the project, and recently has been self-driving about 10,000 miles a week. So the new prototypes already have lots of experience to draw on – in fact, it's the equivalent of about 75 years of typical American adult driving experience."

Provided the initial trial goes to plan, Google will push to expand its program in the coming years, raising speeds and operating its fleet in new conditions.

Earlier this month, truck maker Freightliner was given the go-ahead to begin testing autonomous semi-trailers in Nevada, in what stakeholder said was a sign self-driving trucks could become legislated before passenger cars due to their operating in a "less complicated traffic environment".